On April 25, in Bishkek, energy and water ministers of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan discussed ensuring the sustainable and coordinated operation of Central Asia’s water and energy systems during the upcoming 2026 growing season. The meeting focused on mutual obligations of each country. The ministers noted the historical interconnectedness of national energy systems, with
The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) has formed a regional investment portfolio in the field of climate and ecology in Central Asia and intends to expand it, Evgeny Vinokurov, Deputy Chairman of the Bank’s Management Board, said at the Regional Ecological Summit 2026 in Astana on April 22. For 20 years, the Eurasian Development Bank has
As sustainable development is increasingly shaped not only by environmental factors but also by intellectual and technological ones, a new type of leadership is emerging – leaders capable of rethinking the future of education. Elena Savchenko, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, and Rector of the International University of Kyrgyzstan, is one of such figures. Her
On 23 April, high-level representatives of the European Union, its EU Member States, the Central Asian countries and international financial institutions convened in Astana, Kazakhstan, for the Team Europe Initiative (TEI) High-Level Meeting on Water, Energy and Climate Change in Central Asia, the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Kazakhstan reported. Participants
On April 22, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev took part in a meeting of the Council of the Heads of Founder States of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS). The event, chaired by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, was also attended by President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, President of Tajikistan Emomali
At the Regional Environmental Summit (RES) in Astana on April 22, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kazakhstan and the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership, convened a high-level plenary session titled “Central Asia Initiative – Harmony with Nature for Sustainable Development of the Region,”
Kyrgyzstan’s Cabinet of Ministers has amended the country’s Medium-Term Electricity Tariff Policy for 2025–2030, providing a new state support measure for farmers using water-saving irrigation technologies. According to the Cabinet’s resolution of April 10, 2026, the current electricity tariff will not be increased until May 1, 2030 for farmers producing agricultural products with the use
Kyrgyzstan’s Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Adylbek Kasymaliyev last week met with World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia Antonella Bassani in Washington, D.C. The meeting concluded with the signing of an agreement between Kyrgyzstan and the World Bank Group on the Regional Electricity Market Interconnectivity and Trade (REMIT) Program. The World
Kyrgyzstan’s parliament has passed amendments to road traffic safety legislation that toughen penalties for traffic violations, particularly in traffic accidents caused by drunk drivers. The amendments have increased penalties for causing traffic accidents depending on the degree of injury: – for minor injury, a fine between 80,000 and 100,000 soms (about $1,140) with a driver’s
On April 14 in Tokyo, Kyrgyz Minister of Labor, Social Security and Migration Kanat Sagynbayev met with Hideharu Maruyama, Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan to discuss the current state and prospects of Kyrgyz-Japanese cooperation in labor migration, specifically the Specified Skilled Worker program attracting foreign workers to fill labor shortages in certain
The Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision has announced that a new resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers has significantly increased fines for harming wildlife in Kyrgyzstan. The measure is aimed at preserving biodiversity and strengthening the fight against poaching. According to the new regulations, the fine for illegally hunting ibex has tripled
Economic growth in Kyrgyzstan is projected to moderate from an estimated 11.1% in 2025, but remain strong at 8.9% in 2026 and 8.4% in 2027, according to the Asian Development Outlook (ADO) April 2026, the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) flagship economic publication. Growth is expected to ease as construction and trade normalize, while domestic demand remains
The head of the State Tax Service estimates the shadow economy in Kyrgyzstan as currently standing at approximately 12%. Almambet Shykmamatov told local media that efforts to bring businesses out of the shadows are ongoing, and that this does not include punitive measures. According to the latest data from the National Statistical Committee, Kyrgyzstan’s non-observed (shadow)
In 2025, microcredit organizations in Kyrgyzstan issued loans totaling approximately $983 million to more than 1.685 million recipients, according to the latest data released by the National Statistical Committee. Compared to 2024, the number of microloan recipients increased 1.5-fold and the amount of microloans issued grew by almost 32%, reflecting the growing role of microfinance in a
With the financial support from the European Union, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and European Investment Bank (EIB) have supported the construction and commissioning of a new wastewater treatment plant in Uzgen, Kyrgyzstan. The facility, delivered under the “Rehabilitation of Water Supply and Sewerage Systems in Uzgen” project, will provide 10,000 residents
China’s General Administration of Customs has confirmed that Kyrgyz frozen fruit are now allowed for export to China after the registration of local frozen fruit producers with the China Import Food Enterprises Registration (CIFER) system, according to the Kyrgyz Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry. Importantly, a separate quarantine permit, as for fresh
Concrete pouring has begun for the foundation slab of the future building of a joint Russian-Kyrgyz secondary school in Bishkek, constructed under an intergovernmental agreement between Russia and Kyrgyzstan, according to the Russian Embassy in Bishkek. Russian Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Sergey Vakunov and Kyrgyzstan’s Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Edil Baisalov attended the
The final decision on removing Kyrgyzstan’s civil aviation from the European Union’s aviation safety blacklist is expected to be made in May 2026. This was announced by Peter Sorensen, Deputy Head of Unit Aviation Safety at the European Commission, during his meeting with Kyrgyzstan’s Prime Minister Adylbek Kasymaliyev in Bishkek on March 25. The meeting
French Alliance in Bishkek is holding the Francophonie Spring in Kyrgyzstan, from 25th March to 12th April 2026. The program includes educational, cultural and entertainment events, dedicated to the diversity and creativity of French language and francophone cultures, according to the Delegation of the European Union to the Kyrgyz Republic. This year’s festival theme is “Women and Francophonie”.
On March 24, a meeting was held between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic, Zheenbek Kulubaev, and the Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Feridun Hadi Sinirlioğlu, as part of his first visit to Kyrgyzstan following his appointment. During the meeting, the parties held detailed discussions